Hermetically-sealed package and method of sealing



Dec. 17, 1929.. A. PODEL 1,739,692

HERMETICALLY SEALED PACKAGE AND METHOD OF SEALING Filed Disc. 15.- 1926ATTORNEY 4 cally sealed Patented D... 11, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ABRAHAM PODEL,, OF BRONX, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ANCHOR .CAP &

CORPORATION, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORKEERMETICALLY-SEALED PACKAGE AND METHOD OF SEALING Application filedDecember 15, 1926. Serial No. 154,973.

The present invention relates to sealed packages and more particularlyto a hermetipackage and method of sealing same.

An object of the present invention is to provide an effective hermeticseal between a closure cap and a glass container in such manner that theclosure cap may be readily removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hermetic seal between aclosure cap and a container by turning upwardly the free ed e of theskirt of the cap to press the gasket against the side wall of thecontainer to form a seal and to reinforce the lower portion of theskirt.

A further object of the invention is to form a hermetic seal by pressingupwardly the free edge of the skirt of the cap to form substantially awire edge which presses against the lower side of the gasket to squeezethe gasket against the side wall of the container; and by pressing theouter periphery of the bead. downwardly to increase the effectiveness ofthe seal;

Other and further obiects of the invention will be obvious uponan-understanding of the illustrated embodiment about to be described,and various ladvantages other than those herein specifically referred towill occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention inpractice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a container with a closure capapplied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of thecontainer and closure with the sealing dies in position to form theseal;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view-illustrating one form of seal;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating anotherform of seal, the free edge of the cap being turned in sufficiently toform substantially a wire edge; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating a form of sealapplied to a container having a beaded sealing wall.

Heretofore in the art it has been customary to seal closure. caps,having depending skirts with gaskets therein, by pressing inwardly thelower portion of the bead enveloping the gasket to force the gasketagainst the side wall of the. container. The free edge of the skirt ispressed inwardly toward the container and almost in contact with thesealing wall thereof. The shape of the head is reduced during thesealing operation almost to the form of a cone, the lower edge of thecap being almost in contact with the vessel. Such a seal is effectivebut considerable difliculty is encountered in removing the caps from thecontainers for consumption of the contents. Cap openers when applied tosuch a package, are inclined to slip over the lower edge of the cap andin fact some types of cap openers are not properly constructed to engagethe lower edge of such a cap, and- CLOSURE hence are practically uselessfor such packages. The raw edge of the cap frequently crinkles due tothe reduction of its diameter thereby marring the looks of the package.Considerable trouble is also occasioned due to the tendency of theexposed raw edge to rust. This is particularly true whereproducts'containing vinegar or acids are packed.

The present invention eliminates the above difiiculties by providing acap having a cover portion and a depending skirt with a suitable. beadtherein. The lower side of the bead may bean inturned holding flange.After the cap is placed -on the container this flange is pressedupwardly into the gasket whereby the free edge is embedded inthe gasket.This eliminates rust by concealing the free edge and in additionreinforces the holding flange against the downward forces exerted by thecompressed gasket. In forming the wire edge the free edge of the capengages thegasket and holds it securely in position and the continuedrolling of the edge. squeezes the gasket against the sidewall of thecontainer to form an effective seal. The efiectiveness of the seal maybe further increased by pressing downwardly the outer periphery of theupper side of the bead thereby increasing the rompression of the gasketin the bead of cap. In

such a seal the upturned edge not only presses the gasket in a verticaldirection but also in a horizontal direction both of which, due to theresilience of the gasket, tend to press it thereon. The closure cappreferably com-- prises a cover portion 3 and 21 depending skirt 4 withan annular bead 5 therein. The lower side of the bead preferablycomprises a relatively narrow flange 7 adapted to retain a gasket 8 inposition.

In the sealing operation an upper die lO is adapted to be nested overthe cover portion of the cap with an annular bead engaging portion 11bevelled at 12 to press theouter peri hery of the upper side of the beaddownwar 1y. Suitable jaws or lower dies 14 extend about and below theupper die 10 and are adapted to open suificiently to permit theinsertion of a container with a closure thereon, so that the bead of thecap will be positioned between the upper and lower dies 10 and 14,respectively, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower die holds the outer side ofthe bead in position against the pressure applied during the sealingoperation. The sealing portion of the jaws comprises an annular upwardextending portion 16. As the jaws 14 are moved upwardly in the sealingoperation, the portion 16 engages the edge of the flange 7 and pressesit upwardly into the gasket as shown in Fig. 3. Continued upwardmovement of the jaw forces the inner edge of the flange further andfurther into the gasket causing it to engage same and hold it firmly inposition.

If the jaw is moved upwardly sufficiently far, a wire edge will beformed substantially .as shown in Fig. 4 with the free edge 17 of thecap holding the gasket firmly in position. The curved portion 18 of thewire edge presses the gasket firmly against the container rendering iteffective over a substantial area. The upturned edge reinforces theholding flange particularly in a vertical direction and preventsdeformation due to the pressure imposed by the compressed gasket. Thebev elled portion 11' of the upper sealing die increases theeffectiveness of the seal by pressing downwardly and inwardly the upperside of the bead. This tends to press the gasket against the containerand also'tends to press the outer side of the gasket downwardly torender the upturned edge of the cap more effectivein holding the gasketfirmly in position to seal the container. I

It is customary with certain types of proding blown off by pressureswhich are less than those required to break the container. In such casesthe contents are spoiled because the seal is not capable of standing thepressure which the container .will stand. To remedy this a type of sealis shown in Fig. 5

wherein the side wall of the container has a locking head 19 on itssubstantially cylindrical sealing surface against which the gasket 7 ispressed to lock the cap in position.

It will be noted that the inwardly turned wire edge presses the gasketdirectly against the head on the side wall of the container and that thecap is firmly locked in position. It will be seen that the presentinvention provides an inexpensive seal which effectively retains a capon a glass container. The free unlacquered edge of u the cap is embeddedin the gasket and may be turned sufi'iciently to form substantially aWire edge so that the free edge is concealed to prevent rust andreinforced to withstand the pressure to which it'is subjected by thegasket A substantial space is left between the inturned edge and thewall of the container to facilitate the application of a cap opener forremoval of the cap. Further the curvature of the wire edge greatlyfacilitates the application of an opener and furnishes a substantialoperative surface for pressing the gasket laterally against thecontainer, thereby rendering the pressure efl'ective over a substantialzone. Such a package is adapted to withstand the rough usage to which itmaybe subjected, and all ordinary pressures encountered due to changesin temperature and thelike.

As various changes may be made in the aboveembodiment without departingfrom thespirit of the invention, it is to be understood that the abovedescription is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container having asubstantially cylindrical sealing wall, an annular holding head on saidsealing wall, a closure cap having a cover portion and a dependingskirt, a bead in said skirt, the lower side of the bead in said skirtbeing an inwardly extending holding flange, and a gasket in said bead,the free edge of said skirt being turned upwardly into said gasket topress said gasket laterally against the holding bead and the side wallof the container to lock said capl firmly in position and to form ahermetic sea 2. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container, aclosure having a cover portion and a depending skirt, ahead in the skirtof said cap, and a gasket in said bead, the lower unrolled edge of saidskirt being turned upwardly and outwardly toward the skirt of the capduring the sealing operation to form substantially an inturned'wire edgeengaging by, means of its convex-surface the lower side of said gasketto press said gasket laterally against the side wall of the container. va

3. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container, a closure caphaving a cover portion and a depending skirt, a bead in the skirt ofsaid cap, and a gasket in said bead, the outer periphery of the upperside of said bead being pressed downwardly to force said gasket lateralagainst the side wall of said container, the free unwired edgeof saidcap being formed into substantially a wire edge to engage the lower sideof said gasket and further compress it by means of the convex portion ofthe wire laterally against the side wall of the container.

4.. A hermetically sealed package comprising ,a container having asubstantially cylindrical side wall with an annular bead thereon, a;closure cap having a cover portion and a dependent skirt, a bead in theskirt of said cap, and a gasket in said bead, the lower side of the beadin the skirt of said cap being turned upwardly into a wire edge to presssaid gasket against the bead on the side wall of said container to locksaid cap in position and to form a hermetic seal.

5. The method of sealing containers, such as glassjars and the likehaving a bead on the side wall thereof, with closure caps having gasketsin the skirts thereof, which method comprises turning upwardly the freeedge of the skirt to form substantially an inturned wire edge on thebottom of said skirt to engage and press inwardly by means a of theconvex side of the wire a portion of j said gasket and thereby squeezesaid gasket against the side wall of said container and against a beadthereon to form a hermetic seal.

6. The method of sealing containers, such as glass jars and the likehaving an annular .bead on the side wall thereof, with closure capshaving gaskets in the skirts thereof,

which method comprises placing a cap on a container with a gasket in theskirt thereof and turning upwardly the lower edge of said skirtto form awire edge and causing the convex .side of said wire to engage the lowerside of said gasket to press it laterally against the side wall of saidcontainer and against a bead thereon to form a hermetic seal whereby theraw edge of said cap is concealed by said gasket and a substantial spaceremains.

between said edge and the side wall of the container to facilitateremoval of the cap.

7. The method of sealing containers, such as glass jars and the like,with ,closure caps having gaskets in the skirts thereof, which methodcomprises placing the cap on a container and turning upwardly andoutwardly the lower edge of said skirt during the sealing operation toform substantially an inturned wire edge and causing the convex sideofsaid wire edge to engage the lower side of said gasket and press itlaterally against the side wall'of said container to form a hermeticseal.

8. A hermetically sealed package comprising a container with a bead onthe side wall thereof, a closure cap having a cover portion and adepending skirt, a head in the skirt placing a cap on a container,rolling upwardly and outwardly the lower unrolled edge of the cap duringthe sealing operation to form substantially an inturned wire edge, andcausing the convex side of( the wire edge to engage the lower side ofthe 1 gasket and to press it laterally against the side wall of saidcontainer to form a hermetic seal.

' ABRAHAM PODEL.

